Changes
by AlexSnape-36
Summary: In school, Severus loved and lost Lily Potter. But then he loved again. This girl was in Gryffindor. Narcissa didn't approve. Will Severus ever mend what she broke? What happens when Lucius finds out? And how will she handle her son's new romance?
1. Prolog

_**CHANGES: BY ALEXANDRA FAYTHE MORGAN**_

Disclaimer: The wizarding world and all of its inhabitants with the exception of the ones I created don't belong to me. They belong to someone I'm still mad at for killing off my favorite characters in the book-that-shouldn't-exist. Don't sue me. It's not my fault the book-that-shouldn't-exist is the book-that-needs-to-be-rewritten.

Prologue: Chances

It wasn't always this way you know. There was a time when they were happy, Slytherin and Gryffindor. The two houses were competitive, not divided. Back then, there was a difference.

Severus Snape had his chance at happiness, just like they all did. Like the rest of them, he took it for granted. He ruined it for himself.

He had friends at one point, you know. He wasn't so cold...and alone. The solitude was something he'd had to adjust to.

In the beginning, he was always with them- Remus Lupin, Sara Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy, and Dakota Shanel.

He had even _loved_. _They_ had _loved._ It had seemed, at the time, that they had been fated for each other. It had never occurred to them that they should be enemies, rivals because of their opposing houses. Back then, it didn't matter to them. Who they were was more important than what house they were assigned to. Especially to _them:_ Severus and Dakota, Remus and Sara.

Despite the fact that Dakota and Remus were in Gryffindor while Severus and Sara were in Slytherin, Dakota's love for Severus was just as strong as Sara's love for Remus.

Of course, this was all before. Before everything fell down around them. Before prejudices and hatred replaced friendships and fun. Before loneliness replaced love. Before...everything.


	2. After Party

Chapter 1: After Party

A seventh year student, Severus Snape, sat down and leaned back against his favorite tree next to the black lake. He'd only just opened his advanced potions book when someone closed it with one swift kick.

"James Potter!" he snarls, jumping to his feet and whirling around to face the new arrival. He freezes as he catches sight of his company.

Leaning against the tree, arms crossed, stood a young woman from his year.

"Tell me you didn't just compare me to that poor excuse of a wizard?" She demands, her eyes narrowing at him.

"Miss Shanel." he murmurs, allowing his gaze to run down her thin form. Her brown hair fell with a reddish tint in soft waves to nearly the middle of her back. Her green eyes danced, only barely concealing a look of amusement. Her Gryffindor robes hung open to reveal an off the shoulder, dark blue blouse, and a lacy black skirt, short enough that it barely met Hogwarts' dress regulations, her smooth legs ending in tall, black leather boots.

She raises an eyebrow as he studies her. He smirks, knowing how much it irks her when he addresses her by her last name.

"Dakota..." He gives in, moving to rest his hands on her waist and push her back against the tree, pressing his forehead against hers.

She tangles her hands in his long black hair. Though she wouldn't exactly call it soft, there was something to his hair that she could never get enough of. His dark eyes meet hers and she instantly gets lost in them.

"I didn't come to visit." She murmurs, closing her eyes and trying not to get caught up in the feel of his hands on her waist.

"Pity," he returns softly. "Are you going to tell me why you're here then, if not to pester me?"

She playfully pushes him away.

"Pester _you?_ Are you not the one who just insulted _me?_ James Potter my arse!" She sneers, a slight amusement still in her eyes, letting him know that she wasn't as angry as she sounds.

Suddenly serious, Severus snaps, "James Potter can stay the hell away from your arse or risk me kicking his...I've had to deal with the 'poor excuse for a wizard' just a bit too often today." he admits.

She studies him for a moment before moving towards him and pushing his hair out of his face.

"Since when do we not?" she mutters bitterly, realizing what must have happened. "However, you have forgotten your promise to our friends."

"Bloody hell! The concert!" he exclaims suddenly, "Did I miss it?"

"No," She smirks, "Thanks to me. We have about five minutes. Lucius and Remus are saving us seats."

Severus shoves his book back into his bag, which he slings over his shoulder. He grabs her hand and they quickly make their way to the great hall.

* * *

After the concert a small group of friends could be seen heading towards the room of requirement for a small after party. The room had transfigured itself into a rather comfortable lounge, which they used as their own special common room, with white walls and dark green carpeting. It was furnished with a chair, a love seat, and a larger sofa, all black leather and extremely relaxing. It also has two black marble side tables, a black marble center table, and stone fireplace. A large cabinet sits in the corner of the room opposite the fireplace.

Lucius Malfoy immediately goes to the cabinet and pulls out a bottle of firewhiskey and five champaign glasses while the other four get comfortable in their usual seats. He moves to sit down on the sofa opposite the smaller couch. Where Severus is sitting contentedly with Dakota next to him, her head resting on his shoulder. Remus had claimed the armchair, while Lucius's sister, Sara, had claimed his lap.

Sara, Hardly any shorter than Dakota, bore the trademark blonde hair and blue eyes that the majority of the Malfoy family possessed. However, Sara's hair fell into tight curls around her shoulders, while Lucius's fell straight. He usually kept his tied back in a ponytail while his sister chose to flaunt her curls. Her Slytherin robes were folded neatly on one of the side tables, no longer hiding the tight blue tank and black pants that she'd borrowed from Dakota earlier.

Remus's arms tighten around her waist as he places a soft kiss on her shoulder. "Is it just me, or did you sing as beautifully as you look tonight?"

"It's just you." Lucius smirks devilishly, pouring the firewhiskey into the glasses.

"You two and sibling rivalry." Severus mutters, rolling his eyes.

Remus turns a hard glare on Lucius, who attempts to keep a straight face but ends up laughing anyways.

"Relax, Remus." he smiles, calming down quickly, much to Severus's amusement. "She's use to my tendency to pick on her. She knows I'm proud of her."

"Sure you are." Sara rolls her eyes and summons a glass of firewhiskey. The others follow suite as she adds, "But thank you, Remus. I'm glad you liked it. Lucius, on the other hand, wouldn't recognize pure talent it was shoved beneath his nose."

"Perhaps the reason I wouldn't recognize it is because I've never seen-" He breaks off, suddenly realizing how easily that comeback could be turned against him.

"I wouldn't suppose you have, have you." Remus smiles, finishing off his firewhiskey.

Lucius narrows his eyes at him, but concedes, and smirks. "Alright Gryffindor, you win, but just this once." Lucius laughs.

"Why, thank you for acknowledging my superior 'talents', Slytherin!" Remus returns playfully.

"You seem tired." Severus murmurs, wrapping an arm around Dakota, who's struggling to keep her eyes open, despite the glass of firewhiskey in her hands.

"No," she objects quickly, sitting up much to Severus's disappointment. He had rather enjoyed having her head on his shoulder. "I'm alright."

The conversation caught the group's attention.

Severus rolls his eyes. "You can hardly keep your eyes open, and you didn't even get on to Lucius and Remus for the Slytherin/Gryffindor thing."

"Well, Severus Snape, you're not the only one who had to deal with the Potter brat and his mutt today. Forgive me if it's gotten me a bit out of sorts!" She snaps, unintentionally raising her voice.

Before Severus can reply, Lucius, with raised eyebrows, cuts in with a much more civil tone, though obviously spiked with venom. "And what, pray tell, did Potter and his lapdog have to say?"

Dakota glances at Remus, who'd gone silent, just as he often did when his other friends were brought into the conversation. On occasion he would stand up for them, but the majority of the time he knew they had a right to be miffed at them. James Potter and his gang could often play a bit unfairly.

Dakota sighs. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

Snape raises an eyebrow at her, recognizing her way of trying to hide her discomfort-making it sound as though it didn't matter.

"Is that a half truth?" he returns, forming the statement into a question so as to make it a little less harsh.

She studies him before reluctantly continuing, summoning the pensieve she knows Lucius keeps in the cabinet. Pressing the tip of her wand to her temple, she pulls out a memory and drops it into the pensieve before poking it with her wand. The memory floats out of the pensieve and expands so that her friends could more clearly witness what she'd been through that day.

_In a hurry to get to her next class, Dakota hadn't even noticed the two boys sneaking after her until James Potter roughly grabbed her by the arm and forced her to turn to face him, causing her to drop her books._

_"Why the rush, Shanny? Eager to see your pathetic sniveling excuse for a boyfriend?" he taunts._

_"Get your hands off me, James Potter!" she snarls, jerking out of his grip and taking out her wand, "It's not my fault you can't get laid!"_

_"Nor is it my fault you have Snivellus for a boyfriend, so why take your bad mood out on me? Then again, maybe you deserve each other. Garrett did happen to mention how poor of a shag you are. I'm sure Snivellus wouldn't know the difference one way or the other. I'd be surprised if he even knew how. Bet he's good for your self-este-"_

_Dakota cuts him off with a disarming hex, sending him flying backwards off his feet. Before she has a chance to turn her wand on Sirius Black, he sends the same spell at her, knocking her off of her feet. He quickly mutters something else, and she finds herself stuck to the ground._

_"Where are your precious little Slytherin friends now?" Sirius laughs. "Never around when you need them, are they?"_

_"Did Garrett also tell you the terms under which he shagged me? Did he tell you how he got me to do it?" she snarls, struggling against the sticking charm._

Dakota quickly uses her wand to poke the memory again, returning it to its original form before returning it to her head. She waves her wand, silently sending the pensieve back to its place.

"How did you get away?" Lucius questions.

"Remus came to my rescue." Dakota answers with a small, half hearted smile. "He's head boy remember? Actually managed to talk some sense into the for once in his life."

Remus returns the smile and Lucius nods in approval before replying, "Someone needs to."

"And...what, exactly, were the terms?" Severus questions in reference to where she had cut the memory short. "I was under the impression that you were interested in him before we started going together."

"Nothing you need to be concerned with. I'm going to the common room. I have homework." She mutters, avoiding the question.

She stands up and makes for the door, Severus quick on her heels. He grabs her arm and forces her to face him, pinning her to the wall next to the door and pressing his lips against hers. The urge to be close to him overpowers the part of her screaming at her to leave in order to avoid the conversation, and she presses back against him.. For a split second, he deepens the kiss. As his arousal grows, he pulls away, but leaves his hands on her waist.

"Will you tell me what happened?" He requests smoothly.

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"Severus, I think you should let her go back to her house common room." Sara interrupts, much to Dakota's relief. "You can have this discussion some other time."

"You should go, too." Remus suggests, "I'm sure you've had a pretty hectic day...and I'd appreciate the opportunity to talk to Lucius and Severus alone."

"Alright, but I think I'll walk with Dakota for a while instead of going straight back to the common room. I'd love to have a go at James or Sirius. Bonus points if it's Lily!" she smirks standing up.

"Sara- " Remus starts. Severus cuts him off.

"I don't see what she has to do with any of this." He points out stiffly, raising his eyebrows.

Dakota narrows her eyes at him and he kisses her again, though a bit more swiftly this time.

"You know perfectly well what she has to do with this." Lucius snaps. "Potter and Black wouldn't even know about you and Dakota if it hadn't been for Evans."

"Perhaps, but there was no ill intent behind her telling them. She's not as bad as they are." Severus objects.

"I wouldn't put anything past her. Besides, what does it matter what her intentions were? You're supposed to be standing up for _your_ woman, not _Potter's!"_ Sara returns in annoyance.

"She has a point." Dakota agrees, almost teasingly.

"Jealous?" he counters with a smirk.

"Are you giving me a reason to be jealous?" she demands, serious now.

He studies her before replying, "Lily has nothing on you Dakota...She can't even compare to you, let alone compete with you. She's just an old friend. You have nothing to be jealous of..."

"Good." I murmur, placing a kiss on his cheek. "Good night, Severus."

Remus quickly stands up and, before he loses his nerve, pulls Sara into him, capturing her mouth in a deep kiss before pulling back again. "Good night." he says softly.

Sara smirks and kisses his cheek. "Good night."

Dakota winks at Sara, who smiles back as they quickly tackle Lucius, holding him down. They each place a kiss on either side of his face before quickly fleeing the room.

It takes a moment for Remus and Severus to stop laughing at the deep shade of red Lucius's face had become. After catching his breath, Severus returns to his place on the sofa and pours himself another glass of firewhiskey.

"So..." Lucius says as the three grow serious again.

"So?" Severus asks, raising an eyebrow questioningly when he realizes his two friends are expecting a reply from him.

"So when are you going to tell Dakota that you'd like nothing more than to shag her senseless?" Remus pushes.

Severus glares at him. They'd had a similar conversation only a couple of weeks before.

"When are you going to tell Sara that you can't keep your hands off her, and would like to touch more than you care to admit?" he counters challengingly.

"Who's to say I haven't?" Remus replies defensively.

"Who is to say I haven't?" Severus returns, using Remus's words against him.

"Not only is it written all over your face at the moment, "Lucius answers, "but there's also the fact that it was obvious to everyone, with the exception of her and possibly Sara, that it wasn't the Gryffindor common room that you'd have liked to have taken her to tonight."

"You're afraid to tell her that you want her." Remus accuses daringly.

"Are you not the same way with Sara?" Severus snaps.

"We're not talking about Sara and I, we're talking about you and Dakota." Remus returns, "And to be quite honest with you, Lucius and I think its about time you grow a back bone and show her exactly how much you want her."

"I don't want to ruin things." Severus admits.

"How does shagging ruin things?" Lucius objects, "Assuming you'll have a potion to prevent her from getting pregnant, which I will be more than willing to supply you with, I don't see how it could mess anything up."

"I don't want to risk her thinking I'm using her...I want the chance at a future with her." Severus replies, choosing his words carefully.

"You can still have a future with her! You're just afraid you can't please her." Remus counters, obviously having rehearsed his part in the conversation before hand.

"Severus, we both know you aren't exactly inexperienced. I wouldn't be surprised if James loathed you so much because you've had more women than he could ever start to compete with. You never hesitated with any of the others, why should this time be any different?" Lucius attempts.

"Because Dakota's different!" Severus snaps, angry that Lucius would even consider grouping her with the others, "Because I never felt anything for any of them! Because Dakota is not some one night stand that I can take to bed whenever I damn well please! Because I love he-"

He breaks off, not quite catching himself in time to hide the slip.

Remus laughs, "We already know you love her, Severus. As a matter of fact, taking into account the way you spoke to her before she left, I'm pretty sure you'd be more willing to die than to lose her."

Noting the expression on Severus's face, he quickly adds, "And yes, I am the same way with Sara, but at least I have an excuse for being hesitant to make a move. You on the other hand, obviously having more experience than I do, do not."

"You know perfectly well that the only reason I have more experience than you do is because of your 'furry little problem', as Potter likes to put." Severus retorts.

"The reason you have more experience than I do is because Gryffindors have more loyalty than Slytherins." Remus returns, irritated at the reminder.

Severus glares daggers at him and Remus sighs.

"Forgive the insult Severus, but you get my point. I don't do one night stands, and before Dakota you were hardly with anyone long enough to call it anything else. Besides, just because your other...experiences, for lack of a better way to put it, didn't last, doesn't mean this one won't."

"Dakota is strong, compared to other _Gryffindors_." Lucius puts in, looking pointedly at Remus and giving him a 'that's-for-implying-every-Slytherin-is-a-player' look before continuing. "If she isn't ready to go that far with you, she'll say so...but you won't know until you try. For all you know she goes to bed wishing you'd hurry up and grow a backbone and shag her. However, the 'jumping into everything head first' trait that most Gryffindors seem to have doesn't seem to have much of an effect on her, so I'm assuming she's waiting for you to make the first move. Thus bringing us back to the topic of 'don't you think it's time for you to hurry up and shag the girl'?"

"She's not a girl. She's a woman." Severus corrects.

"Fine," Lucius snaps, "shag the _woman_. Better?"

"Hardly. What if your wrong?" Severus points out.

"I'm not," Lucius answers smugly, "I'm Slytherin."

Severus smirks reluctantly and Remus rolls his eyes.

After a moment Severus sighs in defeat. "Would you shut up about it if I accepted a potion?" he asks frustratedly.

"For now." Lucius agree with a smirk, waving his wand and summoning a vial of a clear liquid from the cabinet. Severus catches the potion and shoves it into the pocket in his robes before turning back to Remus.

"And Sara?" enjoying his turn to pry into his friend's private life.

"That's my business." Remus replies simply.

"As this was mine." Severus snaps.

"Yes. However, who is to say I haven't already made that move?" Remus insists.

Severus raises an eyebrow, but drops the subject.


	3. Discovery

**Chapter 2 Hogsmeade Discovery**

**Disclaimer: Just the usual- she owns it, I'm mad at her for misusing it, etc.**

A week later, Dakota finds herself walking through Hogsmeade with Sara. Severus, Lucius, and Remus had gone off by themselves, leaving the girls alone and giving Dakota the opportunity to ask Sara the question that had been on the tip of her tongue for the past three days.

"How are things between you and Remus going?" She approaches the subject cautiously, "It seems like you've been a bit...distant lately."

"It's going absolutely no where." Sara returns bitterly.

Severus, who'd been only a few feet away from them, froze as he heard Lupin's name. Thinking quickly, he decides to follow them, close enough to listen in, but far enough away to keep from being noticed.

"I'm not sure I understand..." Dakota prods, frowning. "What's wrong?"

"It's like he's sending me mixed signals. One second he wants me, and the next second he's in a hurry to get away." Sara replies, "I mean, I wish he'd just hurry up, make up his mind, and shag me already!" After a moments pause she adds, "Bloody hell, I sound desperate don't I?"

"No." Dakota answers without hesitation, "Us girls have needs just like the guys do, and yours are obviously not being met...but shagging isn't everything to a relationship, you know that, right?"

"Of course I do," Sara snaps defensively, "but I still think it should be an important part. I mean, do you really want a guy who refuses to show you that he finds you attractive? Just look at you and Severus-"

Dakota quickly cuts her off, "I'm not sleeping with him, if that's what you're thinking."

"Well, you might not be sleeping with him physically, but mentally, he's all over you." Sara teases.

Dakota rolls her eyes.

"No, I'm serious Dakota!" Sara insists, "Even the way he looks at you could be considered a public display of affection. I'm surprised one of the professors hasn't demanded that he be blind folded because of it. And don't even get me started on-"

Dakota quickly cuts her off again. "Alright, you've made your point."

"No, my point is, I want someone that will look at me the way Severus looks at you. I'd be surprised if he hasn't shagged you already," Sara smirks.

"Surprise." Dakota returns.

"Well, why haven't you?" Sara demands.

"I don't know." Dakota answers honestly, "I mean, I know why I haven't made a move, but I don't know why he hasn't. I'm not blind, I know how many girls he's been with...he just treats me differently...and that's not a bad thing. I don't want to be just another of his little play things. As a matter of fact, as long as he's with me he'd best stay away from that particular aspect of his past...but I would have thought he'd have made a move by now...assuming he's not getting it from someone else..."

"How could you even think that, Dakota? He loves you." Sara interrupts.

"He hasn't told me he loves me." Dakota points out.

"You mean like he hasn't _physically_ shagged you yet?" she counters.

"I suppose you're right. I feel like he does." Dakota agrees.

"I think you should_ feel_ more than that." Sara smirks, "I know _I_ wouldn't mind letting those hands work a bit of magic on me."

Dakota shoves Sara playfully. Sara laughs.

"Don't talk about _my man_ like that." Dakota insists, "I might get jealous and never speak to you again."

"Yeah, right!" Sara smirks, "Like we'd ever let a guy come between us. Even if he is incredibly sexy."

"Hey! That's _my_ incredibly sexy guy, thank you very much." Dakota snaps, trying to be angry.

Sara meets her gaze and they both start laughing.

"You're right, though. We're practically sisters. No man could ruin that. On the other hand, I think you changed the subject. What about you and Remus?"

"I don't know, Dakota. I don't want a man who doesn't love me physically as much as he loves me mentally. I'm a Malfoy. I deserve more than that."

* * *

Severus frowns and starts back to the Three Broomsticks, where Lucius and Remus are waiting for him.

Sitting down across from them, he turns a stiff glare on Remus.

"What?" Remus questions uneasily, confusion evident on his face.

"Correct me if I'm wrong," he begins, "but did you not tell us, only a week ago, that you'd shagged your lady friend?"

Remus raises an eyebrow at him, hesitating a moment before replying, "I didn't says that. I said there's no proof that I haven't."

"Well, that's a pity, because the proof that doesn't exist is about to turn around and bite you in the arse." Severus snaps.

"What are you talking about?" Lucius asks curiously, listening in as Severus proceeds to tell them what he'd heard.


	4. Remus Grows a Backbone

**Chapter 3 Remus Grows a Backbone**

**Disclaimer: pretty much the same thing I wrote at the beginning of chapter 2.**

Remus moves swiftly through a second floor corridor, searching for his 'lady friend', as Severus had called her.

It had shocked him, to say the least, when Severus had informed him of the way Sara felt.

Well, he's not about to lose her for that reason. If the woman wanted proof of his desire for her, then he'd bloody well give her proof.

He smiles to himself as he catches sight of her a little further up the hallway, walking towards him at a quick pace. His smile widens as he notices the empty classroom to his left.

"Remus..." Sara greetings him as she catches sight of him.

He pulls her close and lowers his head so that she would be the only one to hear what he has to say. "Will you come with me?" he requests suddenly a bit nervous.

"Where to?" She frowns.

He uses his eyes and a small tilt of his head to motion towards the empty classroom. She nods hesitantly and follows him. Once inside he magically locks and wards the door, adding a silencing charm almost as an after thought.

Turning around, he wastes no time in grabbing her hip bones and pulling her into him, kissing her soundly. When she doesn't move away, he moves to position them back against one of the student desks. She gasps as he starts grinding himself against her, causing her heart to race.

"We-We have class." she stutters, vaguely aware of the nerve if took for him to be acting in such a way.

"Do we?" he murmurs, slipping his hand under her blouse and resting it on her bare back.

She nods hesitantly, her arms wrapped around his shoulders.

"And, do you want to go to class? Or would you rather stay here with me?" He asks.

She studies him for a moment, not sure how to reply. It wasn't everyday that Remus Lupin wanted to skip classes.

Do you want me to stop?" he asks, a bit softer, holding her gaze.

She pulls his mouth down on hers and presses herself against him.

"Apparently not..." he gasps when he comes up for air.

He presses his forehead against hers as he slips her cloak off her shoulders and starts removing her outer clothing. She doesn't hesitate before following suite.

"We're doing this here… in an empty classroom?" she questions curiously.

"Why not?" He counters, basking in the feel of her skin beneath his hands.

"What if someone comes in?" She points out, her eyes fluttering shut as his hands move over her.

"The charms will hold until we've finished." He assures her, "Is this what you want?"

He moans softly, growing hard as her hands become more daring.

"I want you. _All_ of you…"

Needing no further convincing, he magically does away with the remainder of their clothing and slides into her at a frustratingly slow pace, enjoying every second. At her urging, he ups his pace, thrusting into her faster and harder. She lets her head fall back as he presses hot kisses along her neck. It doesn't take long before she climaxes at the sound of his name on her lips.

* * *

"Who's your friend?" Remus asks as he enters the room of requirement and notices the blonde woman sitting next to Lucius.

"Narcissa, this is Remus Lupin and my sister, Sara Malfoy." Lucius introduces them, "This is Narcissa Black"

"Another _Gryffindor_?" the woman sneers in disgust.

Sara gives her a '_to hell with you'_ look before replying, "Another _Black_?"

Without sparing her a second glance, Sara follows Remus to their chair and takes her place on his lap.

"You told him, didn't you?" Sara accuses Dakota, who's sitting in her usual place at Severus's side.

"Told who what?" Dakota frowns, honestly confused.

"You told Remus what I said that day in Hogsmeade." Sara insists.

"Actually," Severus interrupts, defensive on Dakota's behalf, "it was me who told him. If you have a problem with it, you can take it out on me, not Dakota."

"She told yo-" Sara starts before Dakota cuts her off.

"He was walking behind us…listening in on the conversation."

"How do you know that?" Severus demands.

"I'm Gryffindor, not thick." I laugh.

"What's the difference?" Narcissa snarls before jumping up and storming out.

"Tell me _that_ is not your new girl?" Remus asks almost pleadingly.

"We've been dating almost a month now." Lucius smirks.

"I don't like her. She's prejudiced." Dakota snaps.

"Aw, come on, Dakota." Lucius objects, "She's not so bad! She just has to get used to the idea, that's all."

She studies him reluctantly. Their agreement in relation to sharing the room of requirement was that if they didn't all agree on someone joining their little group, that someone wouldn't be let in. The room of requirement made sure of it.

"She's had a bad day, guys. Just give her a chance to get to know you." Lucius pleads, "I really like her."

"Alright, but if she does anything to split us up…" Severus agrees with a slight threat.

"If she tries to split us up, I'll split up with her." Lucius quickly assures him. He looks to the others to make sure they agree.

"Oh, alright." Dakota finally gives in.

Sara nods, but adds, "I'm not leaving Remus just because he's a Gryffindor. I don't care what she thinks."

"You're utterly mad if you think I'm giving up Dakota." Severus agrees, "Especially for that reason."

"No one's asking you to. We're all friends here. Narcissa knows that. She's just not quite used to the thought yet. You know what kind of family she comes from." Lucius reassures them.

"I can't believe you're dating a relation of Sirius Black's." Sara laughs.


	5. His

**Chapter 4: Severus Also Grows a Backbone**

**Disclaimer: Been there, done that.**

"Well…" Severus murmurs cautiously as Lucius leaves him alone with Dakota in the room of requirement, "are you ever going to tell me about your little…experience with _Garrett_?"

"What is there to tell?" She counters nervously, standing up to face him in the center of the room.

He hesitates before continuing, "According to the memory you showed us, I can safely assume that you're not…that you have…" He breaks off, unsure of how to finish, or even whether finishing would be such a good idea.

"That I've what?" She prods, running her fingers through her hair. "Been shagged?"

He raises an eyebrow questioningly.

"Hardly." She laughs bitterly. "I mean, I suppose I have if you consider what he did _shagging_."

"The terms?" he continues carefully, pushing the hair out of her face.

"I…" She sighs, studying his expression before finally giving in. "This was before you…just so you know…I wouldn't cheat on you, Severus."

"I know." He assures her, pressing his forehead against hers. "I'd still like to know…if you don't mind?"

"I agreed to sneak out of Hogwarts with him." She begins softly. "He'd borrowed Potter's map…the one that shows you where everything is at any given moment? He was supposed to take me to dinner. He did, but afterwards he talked me into stopping for a drink. We went to the Hogs Head. I thought it was a bit strange, since the Three Broomsticks is obviously a much better establishment, but I shrugged it off. He ordered firewhiskey for us, but I went back and asked for a butter beer instead. I went to use the bathroom. My drink was brought to the table while I was gone. I trusted him…I drank it. He'd drugged me…It was an altered form of a muggle date rape drug, meant to make me relax, unable to make logical decisions. I knew what was going on, but I couldn't stop it. Under the drug I came on to him. He raped me without actually _raping_ me…if you know what I mean? If I drank veritaserum, it wouldn't prove anything, because I didn't see him put anything in my drink and I initiated everything. For all points and purposes I did it willingly. Only I know it didn't happen that way…and Sara. Sara believes me. Lucius thinks I got drunk. Remus doesn't know what to think. Especially since I can't prove anything."

"Were you…_experienced_?" he prods curiously.

She laughs bitterly again. "I'd hardly call _that_ experience. All I know is that it hurt."

"Then you were a virgin…and I'm assuming he wasn't exactly gentle." He mutters angrily.

Dakota frowns at his sudden change of tone. "Severus?"

"You can imagine how…_difficult_ it is for me to imagine someone else's hands on you, let alone anyone hurting you. I don't like it." He admits, quickly explaining himself.

"Maybe we should change the subject?" Dakota suggests.

He shakes his head, "I'm alright…I'm still curious…"

She nods wrapping her arms around his shoulders and leaning back in his embrace.

"When?" he asks simply.

"It was fourth year." She replies a bit more easily than before.

"And was that the last time…Were you ever with anyone willingly?" He continues, choosing his words carefully.

"I haven't bothered with it since then…Damien Garrett was the last guy I was with before you." She replies, not giving him a straight answer.

"And…do you know it doesn't always hurt?" he questions, his rather intense gaze holding hers.

"I-I…I don't-I don't know if-" she stutters, unsure of how to answer.

Severus smirks as she takes a small step back. "A simple yes or no would suffice." He urges her, a hint of amusement appearing in his eyes.

"Do you question what I've heard or what I've experienced?" She counters reluctantly.

"Through experience, do you know it doesn't always hurt?" he rephrases.

"No." Dakota answers finally, in a much softer tone of voice.

"Do you want to?" he teases with another smirk.

"I thought you were supposed to be smooth?" She snaps suddenly, causing him to take on a much more serious expression

"Forgive me." He replies quickly, "I didn't mean to appear forward."

"Good night." He mutters, angry with himself when she doesn't reply. He turns to leave, intent on giving her some space.

"You going to leave me now that I've refused to sleep with you?" she demands, determined to discover his intentions, "Is that why you were with me?"

He hesitates before turning back to her. "Do you want me to leave you alone?" He questions, choosing his words carefully, afraid of her answer.

"That depends on why you're with me." She replies, studying him.

"I'm not using you, Dakota. I'd be lying if I said I could care less whether you ever wanted that…level of intimacy with me, but no, that is not why I'm with you." He insists, holding her gaze, silently urging her to believe him.

She hesitates only a moment before nodding. "Ok." She agrees softly.

"Tell me you believe me. Say it." He requests.

She moves towards him, pressing herself up against him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders, pulling his mouth down onto hers. After a moment she pulls away and murmurs. "I believe you. I trust you."

He presses his mouth back against hers, his hands on her hips as he runs his tongue along her bottom lip, begging entrance. A shiver runs though her as she parts her lips, letting him take control and deepen the kiss. He releases a low moan and pushes her back against the larger, black leather couch, straddling her as she sits down, but careful to keep some distance between their hips.

She breaks the kiss, breathing hard as she let her gaze fall to the erection between his legs, pressing almost painfully against the confines of his pants.

He studies her uncertainly, waiting for her to push him away.

"You want me…" she murmurs hesitantly.

"I can control myself." He returns, biting back the 'that much is obvious' remark that had been on the tip of his tongue.

She smirks before teasing him, "Am I turning you on, Severus?"

He laughs, pressing his forehead against hers and running one hand down the side of her body a bit more daringly than he was actually feeling. She moans softly and presses against his hand, the heat that had started in her lower stomach became a fire coursing through her veins. She couldn't help but want him, despite whether or not she actually liked it.

"Let me show you the way it's supposed to be." He requests softly, "the way its supposed to feel…"

He studies her carefully when she doesn't reply, suddenly coming to a realization. She may trust him, but she doesn't trust the act. She doesn't trust she'd get something other than pain out of it, that he'd take advantage of the situation and allow himself to hurt her. Before doing anything with her, he had to prove to her that he could please her. Otherwise she'd be so caught up in how Garrett had made her feel that she'd never be able to fully enjoy herself. She was still, at least mentally, innocent.

He quickly turns to sit next to her and pulls her onto him, so that she's sitting on his lap.

"Severus.." She starts to object, unsure of what exactly he's doing.

"Do you trust me?" He asks, positioning his arms around her so that he could unfasten her jeans. "Do you trust me enough to let me touch you? Will you let me show you this way?" He pulls the zipper down, leaving her pants loose, but then stops, waiting for her consent.

She hesitates and he continues, using his voice to soothe her.

"I would never do anything to hurt you. You know that. This way I can keep control over what's going on without the temptation to tend to myself in the process. All you'd have to do is tell me to stop. I can make you feel incredible, but I won't do it without your consent. You have the power. Tell me what you want and I'll do it."

She remains silent for a moment before nodding and replying almost challengingly. "Alright…do it. See if you can please me any better than he could."

He laughs softly, knowing it won't be that hard to do.

He pushes his hand down into her pants and beneath her underwear, but pauses when he realizes she isn't breathing.

"Dakota…?" he murmurs questioningly.

"Don't stop." She returns, obviously trying to fake a hint of confidence into her voice.

"You have to keep breathing." He replies, pressing small kisses onto her shoulder. He wraps his free arm around her waist, just beneath her chest.

"Don't stop. I didn't mean to hold my breath. I'm sorry." She says, pressing back against him. He smirks, as he moves his fingers further down and starts rubbing against her. She leans her head back, her eyes fluttering shut.

He watches her chest rise and fall and starts pressing kisses along her neck and shoulder before slipping his finger inside her, at first only one. She gasps and starts breathing harder as he rubs the heel of his hand against her before adding a second finger. Her hips arch up into his hand and she starts moving with the thrusts of his fingers, her bum rubbing against his crotch. He groans and tightens his hold on her to keep her still.

It doesn't take long for her to climax. The sound of her voice along with the way she'd moved against him could almost have brought him with her had he allowed it. Breathing heavily, she collapses back against him, her eyes closed. She quickly opens them again as he pulls his hand out, his fingers wet with her. He's careful not to accidentally wipe them on her clothes as he frees his hand, he brings his fingers up to his face. She watches him smell them before sticking them in his mouth, sucking them clean.

She laughs at him teasingly, "Do I taste good?"

"Like heaven…" he replies sincerely, refastening her jeans, "And have I out done Garrett?"

"He can't compare." She answers, "And no."

Severus leans his head back against the couch and wraps his arms around her waist, raising an eyebrow. "No?"

"No, I didn't know it could feel like that." She explains, twisting in his embrace so that she's straddling him.

"There's a lot that you don't know. You haven't seen anything yet." He breathes promisingly.

"Have I not?" She smirks, pushing the hair out of his face.

"With facial expressions like that you should have been a Slytherin." He smirks in return.

"With hands like those you should be a potions master." She counters.

He laughs. "Maybe I will."

She relaxes against him and quickly looks down as she realizes the bulge in his pants had far from disappeared. "You don't appear to have been satisfied by…what happened." She points out.

"It wasn't exactly my satisfaction I was set on achieving, was it?" He counters, studying her expression closely.

"So you got nothing out of it?" She frowns, and adds, "I'm not a complete idiot. I know it wouldn't have…but I'd have thought you'd at least…"

"Does it bother you that I'm still aroused?" He questions, holding her gaze. "If you'd rather I not be, I can cast a cooling charm on myself."

"That would make you cold." She points out.

"Perhaps, but it would also get rid of my erection." He counters.

When she doesn't answer he tangles one hand in her hair, resting the other on her waist, changing the subject to the first half of her question.

"You are a fool if you honestly think I got nothing out of pleasuring you. I love holding you against me…hearing you moan my name and watching you react to my touch." He assures her softly.

"Do you?" She counters, amusement in her eyes.

"Indeed." He agrees teasingly, "Not to mention that little lap dance you started to give me."

"Did I really?" She replies. The air catches in Severus chest as he takes in the look of seduction crossing over her face, lingering in her eyes.

"You mean like this?" She asks. His lips slightly part in a soft gasp as she rubs herself against him.

"Gods, yes." He mutters, but grabs her hips with both hands, forcing her to stop.

She smirks, not failing to notice the desire flickering across his face.

"We've been together for about seven months now, haven't we, Severus?" murmurs, running her hands down his chest.

"Since late July, yes." He answers simply.

"And you haven't been with anyone but me this entire time?"

"Of course not," He frowns. "I wouldn't hurt you like that…"

"But before me you were a bit of a player…you had a lot of different girls around." She continues.

He remains silent, trying to figure out where she's going with this.

"Out of curiosity, how often did you have a different girl on your arm?"

"Dakota, I'd rather not…" he objects, afraid of her reaction to his answers.

"I was honest with you, when you were asking questions. Shouldn't you be honest with me as well?" She points out.

"I…I don't want to lose you." He admits, "It doesn't matter how many there were in the past. In the present there's only you…and I only want you for my future."

She presses her mouth to his, and he quickly deepens the kiss, slightly disappointed when she pulls away soon after.

"I just want to know…will you be honest with me?" she requests.

He studies her a moment longer before replying. "No more than a week apart. Some only lasted a couple of days. So when I was with someone, it was a different girl every week. Sometimes two girls a week."

She frowns. "That's a lot of other girls…and you slept with all of them?"

"Not exactly, but I did have a bunch of…well, I suppose you could call them 'one night stands', but they usually lasted a couple of days. However, witches and wizards aren't susceptible to sexually transmitted diseases. I was careful to use contraceptives with each of them. They rarely got emotionally attached, and we're not talking about something constant. It happened a couple of months out of the school year. Sometimes I'd spread them out a bit further…depending on how badly the year was going…" He breaks off and sighs. "Dakota, I swear to you, I'm not like that anymore…and I won't be again…_You're_ my woman now…the only one I want."

"Your woman?" She questions with a raised eyebrow.

He hesitates, not sure how to reply.

"I like the sound of that." She smirks, adjusting slightly against his erection, causing him to groan again, if only slightly.

"I just found it interesting that you must have gotten used to getting shagged on a regular basis, and its been almost seven months since the last time you had the chance…" She says lightly, obviously affect by what he'd said, but determined not to let it get to her.

"It's been about nine months, actually…since the end of last school year." He corrects her.

"You must have a lot of self control to have been able to do that to me without asking for anything in return." She murmurs, pushing his robes back as far as they could go in their current position and kissing his neck.

"If you had any idea how close I was to losing it you wouldn't be this close to me right now." He mutters.

"Maybe I want you to lose control…" she teases.

He pushes her back just far enough so that he can see her face. "You implied that you didn't want to go that far…that you aren't ready." He points out.

"And that's ok with you? You'd wait for me?" She questions, testing him. She takes his wand out of his pocket and magically unfastens his robes and shirt, so that all she'd have to do is push them off.

"As long as it takes." He moans as she runs her hands down his bare chest.

"And what if it doesn't take very long?" She murmurs, "What if I've decided nine months is long enough…That the taste you gave me wasn't enough. What if I want my turn with you?"

He hesitates again before replying, "If that were so, I'd ask if you were sure you could shag me now…after everything you just found out, without waking up in the morning with second thoughts. Because if it causes me to lose you, I don't want it."

She meets his gaze, studying him. "He didn't show me…anything. I don't know what I'm doing. I wouldn't know what to do to please you."

"Is that what you want?" He asks, moving his hands over her again. "To _please_ me?"

"Like you did me." She agrees, "I just don't know how…"

He smirks, "Well, in that case, I'll just have to teach you, won't I?"

"Alright, _Professor_," She teases, "Where do we start."

"I think I might like being called Professor…why don't we begin with your consent that I may start wherever I please." He requests, holding her gaze.

She nods, "I'll do what you want."

"_Anything_ I want?" he asks.

"_Anything_ you want, _Professor_." She smiles.

"Raise your arms above your head." He murmurs, studying her, his arousal growing at the thought of having his way with her…He'd have to thank Lucius and Remus later.

He watches as she does what he asked and then swiftly pulls her shirt over her head, letting it fall to the floor. She instinctively covers herself, feeling more vulnerable than she had before.

"Just relax." He murmurs, more than willing to be patient with her. Especially after finding out what that bastard had done to her. "You're safe with me," He continues, kissing her soundly before letting his mouth fall down to her collar bone.

"You're beautiful…" He gently pulls at her arms. She lowers them slowly, and he replaces them with his mouth and tongue, teasing her skin just above her bra line.

He moves his hands to her back to unfasten her bra, but pauses. "May I?" He requests, meeting her gaze.

She nods but doesn't say anything, watching his expression carefully as his gaze falls on her chest, a fire appearing in his eyes. She runs her hands down his chest, hesitating briefly before falling below his waist. She rubs her fingers against him.

He presses back against her hand, his eyes fluttering shut. "It seems there's not much I need to teach you…" he moans.

"You like that?" she asks teasingly.

"It feels good…." He answers honestly, opening his eyes as she unbuttons his pants. He watches her, keeping still but breathing hard.

"Tell me what you want me to do." She requests, kissing his chin and neck.

He hesitates, reluctant to ask her for what he really wanted her to do.

"Do what you're comfortable with," He instructs simply, running his hands up her bare back. "Do whatever you like."

"What if I want to do what you like?" She counters easily, "Do you want me to undress you...or to keep touching you like this? What feels better…?"

He leans forward as she pushes off his robes and tosses them onto the floor.

"I don't want to ask you to do anything that you're not comfortable with…" He admits uncomfortably.

"If I don't want to do it, I'll tell you." Dakota promises, meeting his gaze. "I trust you, Severus."

"You'll need to be on your knees." He instructs finally, breathing hard as she rubs her hands against his crotch again.

"On my knees?" She frowns curiously.

"I want to be in your mouth…" he explains nervously, "I understand if you don't want to…it's just…something I've always wanted to try, but never got the chance to. You don't have to…"

"No, I want to." She agrees quickly, sliding off of his lap, "But I have a better idea. Why don't you lie down?"

He presses his mouth to hers, pulling her with him as he switched positions. Once he was settled, she broke the kiss and waved her wand over him, magically removing his pants, socks and shoes.

"Silk boxers, huh?" she smirks.

He doesn't reply as she pushes them down, preferring to take them off of him herself rather than doing it magically. She slid down his body, positioning herself between his legs and taking his cock in her hand. She wraps her lips around the tip, tasting him before taking more of him into her mouth.

"Dakota," Severus gasps, closing his eyes and lifting his hips up towards her.

She moves her head back and forth as he tangles a hand in her hair and starts thrusting up into her, grunting softly with each stroke. He looks down at her and suddenly it wasn't enough for him. He needed her. To be inside of her.

He sits up and pulls her up, positioning her beneath him.

"Divesto," he casts under his breath, getting rid of the clothing she still had on.

She holds his gaze, moaning as he slowly slips into her.

"I love you," she murmurs, wrapping her legs around his waist and arching up into him as he starts thrusting into her.

She was his.


	6. Corrupting the Evans Girl

Corrupting the Evans Girl

"Lily?" Narcissa hisses, trying to catch her attention.

"What do you want, Black?" Lily demands, instantly defensive.

"I just want to ask a question…or two." Narcissa whispers, pulling her into an empty classroom.

"Such as?" Lily asks, studying her warily.

"Do you want Snape back?" the Slytherin asks.

"He's dating someone, and so am I…" Lily points out.

"Well," Narcissa counters, turning on her natural Slytherin charm. "I just thought you might miss him worshipping the ground you walk on."

"What's in it for you?" Lily asks suspiciously.

"I don't think Gryffindors and Slytherins should mingle." Narcissa admits honestly, "You may be Gryffindor, but since you're already with someone, I don't have to worry about you going back to him. I thought you might like a hand in separating the lions from the serpents."

"Plural?" Lily asks, raising an eyebrow.

"I will also work against Lucius's sister and Lupin." Narcissa informs her, "I don't want any more Gryffindors in my family than there has to be…Lupin has to go…and after all this is over, you'll have two men wrapped around your little finger."

"What do you want me to do?"

* * *

Dakota sat down at breakfast the next morning, a bit puzzled. Severus hadn't waited for her outside her common room like he normally did. She tried to shrug it off, but instead found her gaze searching the great hall, frowning. She hadn't seen him since she had slept with him, and his absence made her nervous. Did he regret it…?

She spots Sara sitting next to her brother and sighs, resigning herself to the option of asking her if she had seen him. She had no time to look for him herself. She had class…

* * *

"Lily, what do you think you're doing?" Severus gasps, backing away from her.

"Don't you want me, Severus?" Lily asks with a smile, keeping her hand on his chest and following him.

"You're with Potter," He points out, frantically trying to talk some sense into her.

"What of it?" She shrugs, "Right now, I just want you."

"I love Dakota…" He objects, grabbing her wrists and holding her at arms length.

She pulls free and pulls his mouth down on hers just as the door opens, revealing a large group of Slytherins and Gryffindors who were waiting on the class to start, Dakota frozen in the doorway.

* * *

"What the bloody hell did you think you were doing?" Dakota shouts, tears forming in her eyes.

She and Severus were standing in the middle of the room of requirement, in their 'common room'. Lucius and Narcissa were sitting on one couch while Sara and Remus were on the other. Severus had gotten there before them and taken their normal seat in the chair. He hadn't seen Dakota since she had walked in on him with Lily, and he assumed she wouldn't come to their room tonight. He was wrong.

"I was fighting her off is what I was doing1" Severus insists.

"With your tongue?" She snarls mockingly.

"Dakota, please! You have to believe me! I didn't kiss her, she kissed me. I tried to stop her!"

"Oh yes, it looked like you were trying so hard!" She returns sarcastically. "I should never have slept with you!"

"Dakota…you don't mean that…that's not fair…" Severus objects.

"Not fair? No, what's not fair is you snogging Lily in front of the entire classroom of students who I had to sit with for the next hour trying to concentrate on charms while they whispered about us behind my back! Not fair? I trusted you, Severus! You told me I could trust you!"

"Dakota-"

"No…" She cuts him off, shaking her head, fighting back tears. "Severus…Snape, I did know that it could be like this, and in all honesty I don't like it. I won't do it. I can't do this. You can _have_ Evans…"

She turns to walk out but Severus pulls her back to face him, "I don't want Evans, I want you!"

"Well, I don't want you anymore!" She throws back, jerking out of his grasp and storming out of the room.

Narcissa holds her hands over her face to hide her smirk of delight.


	7. Cleansing the Malfoy Name

Cleansing the Malfoy Name

"Good job," Narcissa says simply, cornering Lily again, "For a Gryffindor."

"As if you could have done it without me," Lily counters, "…So have they really split?"

"I had front row seat to that little argument. It was fantastic. Yes, dream team number one has split." Narcissa answers gleefully.

"What now?" Lily asks.

"Well, I helped you get Snivellus back. Now, you get to help me cleanse my future family." Narcissa smiles wickedly.

* * *

"What are we going to do about Dakota and Severus?" Sara asks Remus, alone with him in the room of requirement.

"What do you mean 'what are we going to do'? This is their business. They'll work it out on their own." Remus insists.

"We have to do something!" Sara objects, "They're our best friends. Dakota isn't in the right state of mind to be able to work this out with him peacefully…"

Sara breaks off as the door opens and Narcissa Black walks in, followed closely by Lily Evans.

"What the hell do you want?" Sara demands, hostile.

"I just wanted to thank Remus," Lily explains quickly.

Thank me for what?" Remus frowns, standing up to face her.

"Oh, don't be modest, Remus." Narcissa laughs, "We all know that if it weren't for you Lily would have never taken Severus back from Dakota."

"What?" Sara snaps, jumping to her feet.

"What are you talking about?" Remus asks calmly, glancing gat the outraged look on Sara's face.

"Don't you remember?" Lily asks, "It hasn't been that long ago. You told me Dakota wasn't right for Severus and that he was better off with me, I agreed and you said that if I kissed Severus in front of her, she'd probably just leave us alone anyways."

"Remus…" Sara murmurs, shaking her head in shock,

Lily moves into the room and places a kiss on Remus's cheek. "So, thank you. It was a lot of fun."

Sara moves past them, hitting Lily's shoulder on the way by, just as Remus pushes Lily away.

"Sara, wait!" Remus insists, "Its not-"

Sara cuts him off as she whirls around and glares at him.

"No, Remus!" She snarls, getting a look on her face similar to an enraged Lucius Malfoy. "I can't believe you! This is why you didn't want to try to help Severus and Dakota, isn't it? Because you split them up!"

Remus starts to object, but she cuts him off. "No! I don't want to hear it! You know what, Remus? Maybe you're better off with that rotten Gryffindor slut, too, you…you Gryffindor _werewolf_!"


	8. Draco's Secret

Draco's Secret

"Aw, come on, Hermione! Can't we tell them?" Draco whines for the second time in the past week.

"I just don't think they'll take it well," Hermione objects. "I've been friends with Harry and Ron for years! What if I lose them?"

"You'd still have me," Draco smirks smugly.

"You know… it doesn't help that you're constantly teasing them. Couldn't you at least try to be civil? Then maybe we could stop having to use the Room of Requirement as a meeting place." Hermione snaps.

"Well, I don't know, Hermione…maybe I could stop riling them up if they'd stop making it so easy." Draco laughs.

Hermione glares at him and changes the subject, "I wonder what this place was used for, anyways."

"All my dad would tell me is that he and some of his friends used to hang out here. He wouldn't say who they were. I know my aunt Sara was one of them, but that's it." Draco answers.

"And you're sure he doesn't mind that we're together?" She asks, still nervous about it. All she'd ever seen of Lucius was his cruelty…but then, that was all she had seen of Draco until she had gotten to know him better.

"He wouldn't have told me about this place if he wasn't ok with it. Mum acts a bit weird about it, but that's probably just because you're Gryffindor." He assures her teasingly. Hermione rolls her eyes, making Draco laugh. "Actually, Dad suggested I invite you to spend part of the summer at our place. He understands that you'll want to go see your family first, but after that… He's going to have guests this summer, too. You'll get to meet my Aunt Sara and I think Professor Snape will be there for a while."

"I'd love to," Hermione smiles, "but remember that I'm supposed to spend some time at Ron's this summer, too."

"Alright, I'll write a letter to Dad and send it off tonight so you won't have time to change your mind."

Hermione laughs happily and leans back against the black leather sofa.


End file.
